Austrian Darts Open 2026

8 – 10 May 2026 · Stadthalle Graz, Graz

Part of: European Tour

The 13th Austrian Darts Open took place from 8 to 10 May 2026 in Graz and was the sixth of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026. Josh Rock won £35,000 and his second European Tour title with an 8-6 win over Kevin Doets in the final.

The Austrian Darts Open 2026 – staged as the Elten Safety Shoes Austrian Darts Open for sponsorship reasons – took place from 8 to 10 May 2026 in Graz and was the 13th edition of the ranking tournament run by PDC Europe. As the sixth of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026 within the PDC Pro Tour, 48 players competed for total prize money of £230,000, of which £35,000 went to the winner. The prize money counts towards the PDC Order of Merit, the ProTour Order of Merit and the European Tour Order of Merit, through which the top 32 qualify for the European Darts Championship in Dortmund. The first two days of the tournament already brought plenty of surprises: top seed Gian van Veen lost his opening match 5-6 in the deciding leg against replacement Madars Razma and thus went out in his first match of a European Tour event for the third time in a row. Niko Springer dispatched 13th seed Wessel Nijman 6-0, and Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey and Jermaine Wattimena also failed to get beyond the second round. In the fourth leg of his duel with Damon Heta, Cristo Reyes hit the first nine-darter of his stage career; with an average of 101.89 the Spaniard won 6-4. Of the four Austrian host nation qualifiers, only Mensur Suljović survived the first round, beating Cameron Menzies 6-2. Defending champion Martin Schindler saw off Peter Wright 6-2, but lost 2-6 to Daryl Gurney in the quarter-finals on finals day. Finals day belonged to Josh Rock and Kevin Doets. In the last 16 against Niko Springer, Rock survived three missed match darts from his opponent and won 6-5, before beating Cristo Reyes 6-4 and his Northern Ireland team-mate Daryl Gurney 7-3 in the semi-finals. Doets beat Ryan Joyce 6-2, shone in the quarter-finals against Luke Woodhouse with an average of 112.31 in a 6-3 win and reached his first European Tour final with a 7-3 against Rob Cross. In the final, in which both players stayed above 101 in average, Doets levelled at 6-6 before Rock broke again and ended the match 8-6 with a 60 finish. For the Northern Irishman it was his second European Tour title after the Dutch Darts Championship 2024 and at the same time his first title of 2026; he received the traditional green jacket, was the sixth different winner in the first six European Tour events of the year and took over the lead in the European Tour Order of Merit 2026 with the title. Doets climbed to 33rd in the PDC world rankings. The Austrian Darts Open have been held since 2012 and have already been staged in Wiener Neustadt, Salzburg, Schwechat and Premstätten. The record winner is Michael van Gerwen with four titles, who in 2026 went out 4-6 to Rob Cross in the last 16. In all, 8,500 fans followed the tournament in Graz over the weekend, in which 341 180s were thrown. The tournament was shown internationally via livestream on PDC TV and in German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on DAZN.

At a glance

  • Edition: 13th edition of the Austrian Darts Open
  • Event number: Event 6 of 15 on the PDC European Tour 2026
  • Winner 2026: Josh Rock (Northern Ireland) – 8:6 in the final against Kevin Doets
  • Defending champion: Martin Schindler, out in the quarter-finals (2:6 against Daryl Gurney)
  • Prize money: £230.000 in total, £35.000 for the winner
  • Venue: Stadthalle Graz (Halle A, Messe Congress Graz), Austria
  • Organiser: PDC Europe / Professional Darts Corporation
  • Nine-darter: Cristo Reyes in round 2 against Damon Heta
  • Highest checkout: 170 (Luke Woodhouse, Kevin Doets, Cristo Reyes, Josh Rock)
  • Award: The winner receives the traditional green jacket
  • Significance: Prize money counts towards the PDC Order of Merit, ProTour Order of Merit and European Tour Order of Merit (qualification for the European Darts Championship in Dortmund)
  • Spectators: 8.500 fans in Graz over the weekend
  • 180s: 341 180s thrown across the whole tournament

Related rankings

FAQ

When and where did the Austrian Darts Open 2026 take place?

The Austrian Darts Open 2026 were held from 8 to 10 May 2026 at the Stadthalle Graz (Halle A, Messe Congress Graz) in Austria. It was the 13th edition of the tournament and the sixth of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026.

Who won the darts tournament in Graz in 2026?

Josh Rock from Northern Ireland won the Austrian Darts Open 2026 with an 8-6 win in the final against Kevin Doets. It was his second European Tour title after the Dutch Darts Championship 2024, and it earned him the traditional green jacket.

Who was the defending champion at the Austrian Open 2026?

The defending champion was Martin Schindler, who had won the 2025 final 8-4 against Ross Smith. In Graz he went out in the quarter-finals, losing 2-6 to Daryl Gurney.

How much prize money was there at the Elten Safety Shoes Austrian Darts Open 2026?

A total of £230,000 was paid out. The winner received £35,000, the runner-up £15,000, the semi-finalists £10,000 each and the quarter-finalists £8,000 each.

Which format was played at the Austrian Open 2026?

The tournament was played as a knockout with 48 players: the top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit only entered in round 2, while the other 32 players started in round 1. The first four rounds were played over best of 11 legs, the semi-finals over best of 13 legs and the final over best of 15 legs, each in double-out format.

Where were the Austrian Darts Open 2026 shown on TV and stream?

Internationally, the tournament was available as a livestream on PDC TV. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, DAZN broadcast all sessions live in German, and the action was also available free of charge on the DAZN Darts X Pluto TV channel.

How did you qualify for the sixth European Tour event of 2026 in Austria?

The top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit were seeded, joined by the 16 highest-ranked players from the ProTour Order of Merit who had not yet qualified. The remaining 16 places went to 10 players from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier, four from the Host Nation Qualifier and one player each from the Nordic & Baltic and the East Europe Qualifier.

Was there a nine-darter at the darts in Graz 2026?

Yes, Cristo Reyes hit the first nine-darter of his stage career in the fourth leg of his second-round match against Damon Heta. The Spaniard won the match 6-4 with an average of 101.89.

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